#20: Bray Wyatt vs. LA Knight, WWE Royal Rumble (1/28/2023).
This was the Mountain Dew Pitch Black Match, and was sadly Bray's final match before his tragic passing in August of 2023.
I only watched this for the first time when he passed away, just out of curiosity of it being his last. I do remember when it aired, it was not received well.
LA Knight is popular here, but not quite where he'd be later that summer. I love that his gimmick is the exact same as when he was in TNA in the mid 2010s, but it's way more over here. I also love that this is a match based around my favorite flavor of Mountain Dew. Bray debuted a new look and entrance here, and it's badass as fuck.
Bray gets a great ovation upon entering the Alamodome. It makes me happy knowing that his final days on this Earth were met with glorious applause from appreciative wrestling fans.
So, the lights dim, and now we're seeing a black light. And in it, reveals a second look on Bray that is far more sinister than how he entered the ring. Knight's trunks glow neon green. Bray lays into Knight with forearms on the mat. He kicks him in the face. He tosses Knight across the ring with a release suplex.
In the corner, Bray smashes Knight's midsection, then places him near the top turnbuckle, before tossing him overhead. The crowd, unsurprisingly, have no clue what to make of this. On the outside, Bray goes to irish whip Knight, who counters by sending Bray into the steel steps. He pulls the steps towards the announcer's table. Bray throws Knight over the barricade.
Bray tears apart the announcer's table, and throws several cups of Mountain Dew, which glow in the black light. Honestly, I love the color schemes. Bray stands on the steps, and pulls Knight back over the barricade and tries to suplex him. Knight counters and dives onto Bray, sending him crashing through the table. More Mountain Dew spills everywhere. Pretty neon green.
Bray throws a toolbox into the ring, and Knight pounces on Bray upon entering the ring. Knight goes for a Stunner, and Bray throws him to the outside. Knight grabs a Singapore Cane - one that glows - and attacks Bray in the ring, including a diving attack from the top rope. He goes for another, and Bray catches him with Sister Abigail to win the match. Just noticed the Mountain Dew logo on his arm.
Look, I'll be honest. This isn't great. It's beautiful to look at if you're like me and you like neon color schemes. But I'm not really sure what this was. My guess is it was the first chapter of something that would've further unfolded as the year went on. Sadly, we'll never know. I do respect that during the conference after this event, Bray talked about how he enjoyed taking risks and doing things no one had done before, and that's its fun to do things like that. So if you think about it, this very weird spectacle of a match with LA Knight was a fitting end to the career of one of wrestling's weirdest stars. RIP, Bray.